Talk Therapy Can Change Your Brain

"Therapy is a gift"
Improvements in "social functioning" may be the dry argot therapists use to describe patient success. Those on the receiving end of treatment use very different language. Many report that a nonjudgmental therapist eases the loneliness of depression, or lights the way to deeper, closer relationships.

Many describe deep healing. "I was amazed at my transformation in therapy," says Terrie Williams, 53, of New York City, whose weekly psychotherapy sessions allowed her to feel "authentic" rather than "robotic" as she navigated a high-stress job in public relations.

While she was also prescribed Zoloft and Wellbutrin, Williams came to understand that her struggle was more than biochemical. "Therapy is a gift we should all have. We all have deep scars from childhood, which are compounded by everyday slights. [It helps] to have one hour a week to replenish yourself."